• Morocco has raised its greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target to 53% by 2035, up from 45.5% by 2030.

• The new climate plan includes 21.6% unconditional cuts and 31.4% conditional reductions dependent on international financing and technology.

• The country plans to triple renewable capacity to over 15 GW by 2030 and phase out coal by 2040.

Morocco has unveiled a higher climate target, reaffirming its ambition to become a leading actor in Africa’s energy transition. The government announced on October 26 that it had submitted its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) to the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The new submission raises the country’s GHG reduction goal to 53% by 2035, up from the previous 45.5% by 2030, marking a significant escalation in its long-term low-carbon strategy.

According to NDC 3.0, Morocco’s climate pathway combines two components: an “unconditional” reduction of 21.6% financed from domestic resources, and a “conditional” reduction of 31.4% that depends on international financial and technological support.

This updated roadmap, covering 2026–2035, applies to all major emitting sectors — energy, transport, agriculture, industry, and waste management. The plan envisions a gradual coal phase-out by 2040, contingent upon external assistance, and the tripling of installed renewable energy capacity to over 15 gigawatts by 2030.

The development of NDC 3.0 builds on Morocco’s commitments made at COP22 in Marrakech and responds to UNFCCC calls for countries to increase their national ambitions ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.

This update also comes at a time when several African nations have yet to revise their own targets, enhancing Morocco’s credibility as a regional climate leader.

For Rabat, the fight against climate change is both an environmental necessity and an economic opportunity. The government expects stronger climate action to attract green investment, modernize its industrial value chains, and strengthen its position as a regional energy hub.

According to data from the Green Climate Fund (2023), Morocco mobilized $4.34 billion in climate finance between 2016 and 2019, including $2.92 billion dedicated to emission mitigation projects.

This article was initially published in French by Abdel-Latif Boureima

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum